In Reply: Dr Mendlowicz and colleagues point
out the need to understand the complexity of issues contributing to neonaticide,
including the entire spectrum of cases from young single mothers to older
mothers who may be married with other children. They suggest that the mothers
who had other children in our sample may represent the mabiki type of neonaticide. Unfortunately, the retrospective nature
of our study means that we could not interview the mothers or ascertain their
socioeconomic status. Thus, it impossible for us to assess the mabiki hypothesis or indeed any other factor that may have contributed
to the motives.